Calcutta putts to perfection

Bibek Sardar tees off in style at Golmuri Golf Course on Friday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Calcutta lad Bibek Sardar took a slender one-shot lead at the end of the first round of the second leg of Tata Steel IGU East Zone Sub-junior Tour at Golmuri Golf Course on Friday.

Bibek carded a 5-over 76 to nose ahead of Jamshedpur’s Shamim Edu in the top category (A and B).

Manish Rajak of Calcutta came third at 7-over 79 while Jamshedpur-based Sharif Khan was fourth at 9-over 80.

City champion Rohit Kumar Bouri, who won the title in the first leg at Beldih Golf Course earlier, was tied at fifth place with Calcutta’s Hassan Rahman Khandokar at 81.

Bibek had a brilliant start in the first eight holes. He made three birdies on the third, sixth and seventh holes while getting a bogey on the ninth to take the turn at 2-under. On the back nine, he faltered, with three bogeys and two double bogeys to lose seven shots, ending at 5-over for the day.

Bibek also led in category B with Manish Rajak following him three strokes behind. Calcutta’s Rajib Ali led in category C with a total of 7-over 79 while his city mate Sandeep Kumar Yadav was second at 80.

Abhikanks Basu, also from Calcutta, was third at 83. Fellow Calcuttan Aroush Tagore was fourth at 91.

Calcuttans all, Pranshu Poddar emerged leader in category D with a card of 85 while Arav Sanghavi trailed by two strokes and Joysurjo Dey was a far third at 93.

Women in category B saw Jamshedpur’s Vanika Badshah lead with 94. Home town’s Marshneil Prasad was second at 96. Calcutta’s Chitrangada Singh led category C with 80 while her city mate Garv Lakhmani helmed E with 44.